2015–16 Saudi First Division League was the 39th season of the
Saudi First Division League
The Saudi First Division League (), currently known as the Yelo League for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of professional football in Saudi Arabia. It ranks below the Saudi Pro League and above the Saudi Second Division League in the ...
since its establishment in 1976. The season started on 21 August 2015 and concluded on 23 April 2016.
On 23 April 2016,
Al-Mujazzal won the league title and earned promotion to
2016–17 Pro League along with
Al-Ettifaq
Al-Ettifaq Club (), commonly known as Al-Ettifaq or simply Ettifaq, is a professional football club in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, which competes in the Saudi Pro League.
The club was established by the merger of three Dammam-based clubs in 1945. Al- ...
, while
Al-Batin qualified to the
promotion play-offs
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
.
Al-Nahda
The Nahda (, meaning 'the Awakening'), also referred to as the Arab Awakening or Arab Enlightenment, was a cultural movement that flourished in Arab-populated regions of the Ottoman Empire, notably in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Tunisia, during ...
,
Al-Riyadh and
Al-Diriyah were relegated to the 2016–17
Saudi Second Division
The Saudi Second Division League, also known as the Second Division League (SDL), is a football league that is the third tier of the Saudi Arabian football league system. The league consists of 32 teams divided into two groups.
Competition forma ...
.
On 21 July 2016, the
SAFF
South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) is an association of the Association football, football playing nations in South Asia. Incorporated in 1997, it is a regional subsidiary of Asian Football Confederation. The members of the association are ...
announced the relegation of Al-Mujazzal to the Saudi Second Division due to
match fixing
In organized sports, match fixing (also known as game fixing, race fixing, throwing, rigging, hippodroming, or more generally sports fixing) is the act of playing or officiating a contest with the intention of achieving a predetermined result, v ...
.
On 3 August 2016, they announced that Al-Ettifaq were crowned champions and Al-Batin would be promoted to the 2016–17 Professional League instead of Al-Mujazzal, and they also announced that Al-Mujazzal would be relegated instead of Al-Nahda.
Teams
A total of 16 teams are contesting the league, including 11 sides from the
2014–15 season, two relegated from the
2014–15 Saudi Pro League and three promoted from the
2014–15 Saudi Second Division.
Al-Shoulla and
Al-Orobah join as the two relegated sides.
Damac were promoted as champions, while
Al-Nojoom were promoted as Group B winners.
Ohod secured the final berth by winning the playoffs.
Team changes
The following teams have changed division since the 2014–15 season.
To the First Division
Promoted from the
Second Division
*
Damac
*
Al-Nojoom
*
Ohod
Relegated from the
Pro League
*
Al-Shoulla
*
Al-Orobah
From the First Division
Relegated to the
Second Division
*
Al-Safa
*
Abha
Abha (, ') is the capital of Asir, Asir Province in Saudi Arabia. It is situated above sea level in the fertile Asir Mountains of south-western Saudi Arabia, near Asir National Park. Abha's mild climate makes it a popular tourist destination fo ...
*
Hetten
Promoted to the
Pro League
*
Al-Qadsiah
*
Al-Wehda
Stadia and locations
League table
Results
Statistics
Scoring
Top scorers
Hat-tricks
Clean sheets
References
External links
Saudi Arabia Football FederationSaudi League Statisticsgoalzz
{{DEFAULTSORT:2015-16 Saudi First Division
Saudi First Division League seasons
Saudi
2015–16 in Saudi Arabian football